Means for shuffling decks of playing cards



Oct. 28, 1952 w. A. FONKEN 2,615,719

MEANSFOR SHUFFLING DECKS OF' PLAYING CARDS Filed July 29, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l WILLIAM FON KEN nventor (Ittornegs Oct. 28, 1952 w. A. FoNKEN: 2,615,719

MEANS FOR sHuFFLING DEcKs oF PLAYING CARDS Filed July 29, 195o s sheets-sheet s I6 32 27 36 FIG 9 FIG-K) 5:2 i /36 /I6 Y F|e. |4

WILLIAM A. Forme" :inventor :d/f my@ (Ittornegg f Patented Oct. 28, 1952 UNITED sTAT'ENs PATENT* OFFICE ME-ANS FOR SHFFLING DECKS OF PLAYING CARDS William A; Fonken, Seattle, Wash. Application July 29, 1950, Serial No. 176,67-3

' 3 Claims. (Cl. 273-149) This present invention contemplates anew method and the means required to shuffle large decks of cards. Means are provided in the form of a box-like device having a sliding cover, for separating the large deck of cards into two half-y decks and then recombining thesetwo half-decks so that a repetition of the shuffling cyclecan bev made. The two half-decks are achieved b'ya means which takes from the entire assembled deck small books of cards having a diierent numel ber of cards, normally, in each of the small books.

this present invention, this result is achieved in-` cidentally, but a further and more important purpose has been served, mainly, the handling of large decks of cards, decksl so large that only persons skilled in the handling of cards can effec` tively shuiile them in a single shuiiiing operation. Such decks of cards are used in a number of games among these are canasta, and various forms of rummy, from which canasta appears to be a derivative or variant. Further,k in the past the majority of the shuffling devices were dee signed for use in gambling games. In this'present invention, however, the intent of this device is to provide a convenient means for shuflling the large decks of cards, such as used in canasta, which can be effectively handled by anyone, even though they be unskilled in the handling of cards.

number `of newcomers in the field, and it is particularly for the benefit of these A people that-this present invention has been conceived.

vThe principal objectof this present invention, therefore, is to provide a lshuiiiing means for handling, normally, double decks of cards in such a simplified manner that one unskilled in card handling can achieve f an honest, complete shutliing of the cards.

A further object of this present invention i to provide a method and means for segregating the double deck of cards into two single decks, each formed from books of cards taken throughout thedouble deck.

A further object of' this invention is to provide means for raising the level of approximately one-half of a double deck of cards above the other half as they are held in an on-edge position and then slipping these raised cards from the double deck to form half-decks.

A further object of this invention is to provide convenient means whereby a single movement of the sliding cover from one end to the other end and back, will complete a shuflling cycle.

A further` object of this invention is to provide a card shuiing device in which a series of sequential operations are performed by one com-` plete movement of the slide cover to one end of the container and' return.

n A further object of thisinvention is to achieve a method -of shuiiling wherein a deck of cards taken throughout the entire deck, combining the books of cards into a single half-deck, and then Normally, canasta is a family game.l It is played,

in a large measure, for home entertainment and probably nothing isv as embarrassing to those unskilled in shuliling as to endeavor to assemble the double deck normally used in canasta, and

one of the achievements of this present inven#` tion is to provide a convenient means for the handling of the cards which will prevent the embarrassment of guests in ones home in the handlingof the double deck employed in this new game. In the past, many persons have not become interested in the usual games played in the home because of the long study required to combining kthe two half-decks of cards into a single full deck.

Further objects, advantages land capabilities will be apparent from the description and dis-r closure in the drawings, or may be comprehended or are inherent vin the device. f

In the drawingsz' Figure l is a perspective view of my complete card shuilling device;

achieve practical playing skill. Canasta.;,on the j other hand, is easily understood as it cornes from the rummy game foundation, and has been the means of introducing card playing to a large Figure 2 is a-perspective view of the lower chamberof my shufliingdevice, ywith vcertain v parts broken away and shown in section to more clearly illustrate its construction;

Figure 3 is a plan viewfin section, as though cut by a plane passing horizontally through the center of my shuffling device;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the inner portion of the slide, or cover, used with my shuflling device;

Figure 5 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view through my card shuiiiing device, with a the left to the point where they will be recom-l I.

bined;

Figure 9 is a sectional view in plan, showinga deck of cards being moved to the separating platform;

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure r9, butshoW- ing the separation of the stripped out books o cards from the main deck;

Figure 11 is a sectional view in plan, showin the movement of the two halffdeckstoy theleft;

Figure 12 is a View similar to Figureill, show,- ing the next step in the recombining of the two half-decks;

Figure 13 illustrates the manner in which the complete deck is broken .into several books, normally, each having a different number of` cards therein as the rst step in the shufilingdof thel cards forming the shulingjmethod of thiswapplication;

Figure 14 is a perspective view of the type of separation ramps used in my device.

Referring more particularly tothe disclosure in the drawings, the numeral I6 designates the` lower box-likechamber or enclosure of my shuff ing device. This is, normallyy so proportioned that a complete double deck orcards wlllfit snugly but not tightlyinto the shuilling chamfV ber I8 within box I6 and the length of this chamber, in the form shown, is slightly over three times the length of the playing cards used in the device. On one end, disposed so that a deck of cards can be centrally disposed thereon, is a; plurality of transversely ngered separation ramps 20. Ramps 20 are arranged longitudinally of the separation chamber I8 and are provided to segre-V gate cards` in a non-uniform manner. best achieved by varying the thickness, as considered transversely oncontainer IB, ofl one or more of the ramps, orl may be achieved by having the spaces 22 .between the ramps so arranged that one or more are of different thickness from the` proaches toward each endfof the enclosure. Theheight of this ramp, for convenient operation,

should be substantially that of ramps 20. .The`

purpose of this ramp is to provide that ,the cards are heldin a raisedposition so that the central transferring lug can adequately engage the same so as to'achieve their vlongitudinal movement.

Disposed on eachside and extending inwardly of chamber I8 are the half-deck positioning springs 21 and'3ll.A These springs may take variousforms, however, those illustrated throughout This is the accompanying drawings have proved very satisfactory.y They consist of relatively thin spring stock having a width about one-half of the width of the playing cards handled and are secured at one end as by rivets, 32 and 34. The opposite ends of springs 21 and 30 are entered into guiding grooves, as 36 and 38, to the end that these springs may be straightened and the unsecured ends occupy a space'wthin,thes'sidewalls ofvbox II.A Such ar showingof-spring-2`l is illusstrated in Figure 9. Springs 21 and 30 have the function of positioning the half-decks so that they will be v.recombined into a full deck at the completion of a single shuffling cycle.

The upper longitudinal sides of box I6 are 'formed as guideways 40 and 42, adapted to receive the downwardly4 extending skirts 44 of the sliding cover 46.' Cover 46 has three downwardly ex- 'tending transporting lugs, as 5D, 52 and 54. The

proportioning of these lugs must bear a deiinite relationship tothe various other parts of box I6. For instance, lugs,50 and 54 must be able to overruneach end of box It and the upper margin 56 of box IIii must be-of a height to expose the upper longitudinal margins-of the playing cards C. ,With thisproportioning, lugs 50 and 54 can engage theend margins of the cards in order to move them through the sequence of operations required to complete a shuffling cycle. The downward'extentof, lug 52 must .bear a'deflnite relationship with the space between it and the raised central, ramp 25 and between it .and ramps 23, so, thatthe operationv illustrated in Figures 6 through 8 can be achieved. It, therefore, follows that the distance from the upper face of ramp 25 to the under surface of cover 45 must be just suiiicient to givey ample clearance for a card on edge. Lug 52 must extend downwardly toward` Method of operation Incarrying outv themethod of card shurliing. made possible by this presentmeansthe following sequential. operations are desirable. First. referring to Figure 5, the complete deck of cards isplaced in the leftl hand view vof box I6,4 then coverE. is put in place over thedeck to insure that the lugs 50 and 54 are on opposite ends of the deck. The next step inthe operation is to move cover 46 to the right, as viewed inthe vvarious figures. This givesan. intermediate position illustrated in Figure 9where thedeck is inmidpointin chamberl I8, and has forced spring 21 into its guiding recess 36. As thecover 46 is conf tinued in its movement to the right, lugY 50 continues to, carry the deck along until it comes to rest at the right end of the shuffling chamber I8. Here, as illustratedin Figure 6those cards which are on top of ramps 20 maintain their position substantially in contact with cover 45. The balanceY of the cards, due to their weight, and the fact that they have been moved along by lug 50, fall down into the spaces 22, between ramps 20. Ramps complementary to ramp 2O may be formed in thelcover' to avoid dependence on gravity if desired. This creates the various books of cards, which, for4 the, purpose of insuring against a restoration of the pack to its original position half-decks. Each of these half-decksjmustpass by the central spring 21, but as separate halfdecks. The leading half-deck is forcedto one side by spring 2l, and then to the other side by spring 30, and spring normally bears on a disengagement of Y the interleaved books of cards and creates two v cards on its side; a cover disposed to slide above that half-deck, at rest, toward the right of its center so that any ruiliing of the deck will be onlyat the left end, leaving the right end rmly compressed so that the second half-deck, as it is carried along by lug 54, will be positioned by spring 21 alongand longitudinally of said enclosure and in said guideways, said cover having three depending,

transverse lugs, disposed torengage cards in said" enclosure, said lugs beingspaced apart one from another longitudinally of said cover; a rst rejsilient member positioned on one side and near y one end of said enclosure and disposed to `press against cards passing said member; a second resilient member positioned on the other side andv intermediate the ends of said enclosure andv disposed to press, in an opposite' direction from said first resilient member, against y.cards passing said member; a ramp positioned o n the iloor of said enclosure in a centralposition and having sloping approachesfacing each end of thelenclosurc; and a ramp, having a seriesof grooves spaced apart one from another, transversely of said enclosure positioned onthe iioor of said enclosure in the opposite end from said first resilient memside of the first half-deck that was stripped from y the full deck, the second half compressing spring 30. Thus the pack is reunitediand one complete shuiiing cycle has been achieved. n n

Attention is invited to the perspective view of Figure 13, wherein a view of a small group of the books of cards making up the deck is shown in the general relationship they have with one another during the separation stage, and which is achieved through the use of ramps ,20 and the associated spaces 22 between them. lWhen the cards are shuled, as by this method, the separation of the cards in the finally `formed complete deck, are considerably further apart than by any ordinary system of inter-leaving cards. In the reformation of the deck, after the method pre--y viously described, it will be apparent, it `is believed, that each book of cards of Figure 13, which shows books 60 and 6I, in normal position, interfingered with raised books 62, .63, will normally be disposed in the reformed deck a distance away from its original position. Such an arrangement insures the widest possible separation of cards from their original position and then, by having spaces 22 of various widths, suc- `cessive cyclesof shuiiiing will thoroughly mix the cards. This methodA of shufing the cards is a very thorough one and should well serve the ends of card players.

Many details of structure add to the. certainty of the shuiiiing operation. OneV example is the fact that the central ramp 25, as shown in Flg` ure 5, tends to put back into place anyy cards of the deck that are raised too high. This insures smoother operation near the end of the cycle. Attention is 4further invited to the sloping approaches to ramp 25, as are illustrated at 65 and 61, over which the cards move.

It is believed that it will be clearly apparent from the above description and the disclosure in the drawings that the invention comprehends a novel construction of means for yshuffling decks of playing cards.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. A shuffling device for playing cards, com` prising: a stationary, box-like shuffling enclosure with an open top, the upper portions of the sides of said enclosure forming guideways, said enclosure having a length roughly approximately the length of three decks of cards'and being wide enough to accommodate loosely therein a deck of -2. Ashufiling device for playing cards, comprising: a stationary, elongated, box-like shuffling enclosure with an open top, said enclosure being wide enough toaccommodate loosely therein a deck of cards on its side; .a cover disposed to slide above and longitudinally of said enclosure,

said cover having a plurality of depending, transverse, lugs, disposed to engage cards in -said enclosure, said lugs beingspaced apart one from another; there being a portion of the iioor of said enclosure with a surface having a series of grooves spaced apart one from another transversely of said enclosure; and means positioned in said enclosure, at a point spaced from said grooves, disposed to bunch cards, passing said point, in abutting side-by-side relationship one to another.

3. A shuiing device for playing cards, comprising: a stationary, box-like shuliiing enclosurewith an open top adapted to accommodate a deck of cards positioned on edge and moved in a substantially horizontal, edge-forward 'direcn tion within said enclosure; a cover slidably mounted on said open top of said enclosure and having engaging lugs disposed to engage and longitudinally move cardsv in said enclosure; orienting means in said enclosure disposed to separate such deck into groups of books of cards with the top edges of a rst `group of books ex# tending beyond the top edges of a second group,

of books and withthe books belonging-tov said first group in interngered relationship to books belonging to said second group, said engaging g ylugs having` means for engaging and moving said top edges of said rst group of books independently of said second group. I

WILLIAM A. FONKEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille' of this patent:

` UNITED STATES n PATENTS 

